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Telling Recruiter Of Client Contact Is a Wise Move

By

Perri Capell

Updated May 29, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

Q:I interviewed for a job a few weeks ago. The executive recruiter told me the hiring process has slowed but I'm still being considered. Will the recruiter be offended if I contact the client directly to say I'm still interested?

A: Candidates should know that the executive-search industry is a sales business, and the product is the recruiter's ability to find good candidates. Thus, some recruiters may get nervous about any communication with the client that they don't control.

Jeff Hawn, managing partner of PrincetonOne Search, a recruiting firm in Skillman, N.J., believes candidates who choose to work with a search pro should accept having a middleman. But Tom Haley, managing director in Boise, Idaho, for executive-search firm Brentwood Group Ltd., says he views his role as helping executives build relationships with companies, so it doesn't bother him if candidates contact clients directly -- even without telling him first.

Bottom line: Because search pros' responses differ, calling him or her before contacting the potential employer is generally your wisest move.

Q:In recent years, I "buried" myself in my career, often working 18-hour days. How do I convince employers that I'm willing to take a lesser job, title and salary so I can balance my life?

A: You face a challenge. Executives who apply for lesser jobs sometimes seem desperate to employers, who assume that if such applicants are hired, they'll leave as soon as something better comes along.

Liz Ryan, a human-resources consultant in Boulder, Colorado, advises being bold when writing cover letters to hiring managers. Mention your title and say you'll work for less money or responsibility to gain a life, she says, and "don't waffle or be meek about who you are or you'll seem like an executive who has inexplicably fallen from grace."